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the best source of sound information. He could be blowing his friend’s comments out of proportion.”
    I frowned at Sam. “All the girls have long blond hair and blue eyes. Like Hannah.” I could hear the alarm in my voice, and Sam noticed it, too.
    “Hannah’s not out running around by herself,” he said reassuringly. “And she’d never get into a stranger’s vehicle. Never. Besides, I’ll bet none of the girls dressed like Hannah, did they, Bill?”
    He shook his head and smiled at me. “No, these were modern girls, Gracie. Not Mennonite.” He patted my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.”
    “It’s not your fault,” I said. “Hannah’s been on my mind, and some of her recent actions have me concerned. You’re both right. This has nothing to do with her.”
    Sam grunted. “A red truck, huh? I have a red truck. You do, too, don’t you, Bill?”
    He nodded. “Yep, and so do a lot of other folks around here. Oh, I just remembered. The truck had an odd bumper sticker. The witness didn’t get a real good look at it, but I guess she told the police something about it that they found helpful.” He shrugged. “My nephew didn’t go into any other details.”
    Sam pointed toward the front window of the restaurant. “I see four red trucks parked out there right now, and I can guarantee you that at least three of them have bumper stickers. The police are going to need a lot more than that to find this guy—if there really is someone out there abducting young women.”
    Bill nodded. “You’re right about that.” He straightened up and grinned at us. “Well, I better get going. I’m having dinner at Thelma’s tonight before church. I need to take a nap and sleep off Hector’s fried chicken before I tackle Thelma’s yummy pot roast.” He chuckled. “It’s a hard life, but I’m doing the best I can.”
    Sam and I laughed, even though our previous discussion left me feeling decidedly uneasy. After Bill walked away, I finished my meal while Sam talked, but I couldn’t concentrate on the discussion. Ida had taught me to listen when something disrupts my inner sense of peace. And I felt as if my peace was busy jumping up and down, frantically waving its arms.

Chapter Five
    A fter lunch, Sam took me home. I spent the rest of the day trying to get ready for the arrival of my parents and Papa Joe. The situation with Hannah made it difficult for me to concentrate. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on at the Muellers’. I stopped and prayed once again that God would bring peace to them. Somehow I managed to get everything done I’d planned to do. The room my dad grew up in sat ready for my mother and father, and I’d cleaned out my room for Papa Joe since it had been his bedroom when he and Mama Essie lived in the house. I’d temporarily moved into Uncle Benjamin’s room. When I surveyed the space I’d prepared for my family, I felt certain everyone would be comfortable. The rooms were clean, the furniture polished, and each bed was covered with one of the beautiful quilts I’d retrieved from trunks in the basement. Most of the furniture pieces had belonged to the room’s original owner. Temple furniture was certainly made to last. I loved knowing that my family would be able to enjoy many of the furnishings they grew up with.
    I finished much earlier than I’d anticipated thanks to Sam and Sweetie’s efforts before I got home. There was plenty of food in the house and the main rooms had been cleaned so perfectly there was almost nothing left to do. I decided to run over and see Ida. Since she only lives half a mile from me, I chose to walk. I hadn’t gone very far when I realized I’d made a mistake. The July sun beat down relentlessly on my uncovered head, and I remembered that Ida doesn’t have air-conditioning. Even though I considered turning around more than once, in the end I kept going. If someone Ida’s age